New Delhi, August 12: On Wednesday, Minister of State for Cooperation, Murlidhar Mohol, introduced the amendment bill for the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962, in the Rajya Sabha, which was subsequently passed. However, members of the Congress and its allied parties were absent during the discussion, leading to a walkout by most opposition parties.
In response to the discussion on the bill, Minister Mohol stated that efforts to integrate the cooperative sector into the mainstream of development have already begun, with significant progress made over the past five years. He noted that over 800,000 cooperative societies are currently operational in the country, engaging approximately 300 million members.
Mohol emphasized that India’s cooperative sector is among the largest cooperative networks globally. He highlighted that several crucial decisions have been made since the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation five years ago. The government is investing around ₹30 billion to computerize 80,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across the nation. Model bylaws have been created to empower PACS in smaller villages, and all states have adopted these guidelines. He mentioned that PACS have been given the opportunity to engage in about 25 different types of businesses. The goal is to establish 200,000 new multi-purpose PACS, with around 40,000 already formed.
The Minister also announced an ambitious target under ‘White Revolution 2.0’ to increase daily milk production from 66 million kilograms to 100 million kilograms. To ensure farmers have access to the complete value chain from seed to market, three new multi-state cooperatives have been established. So far, over 70,000 cooperative societies have joined these new cooperatives. Additionally, a top organization for urban cooperative banks has been formed, and ‘Sahakar Sarthi’ has been established for rural areas. To provide trained and skilled human resources to the cooperative sector, Tribhuvan Cooperative University has been set up.
Through this university, 1.7 million youth are expected to receive training over the next five years. Mohol also mentioned the launch of India Taxi, a cooperative initiative based on the spirit of cooperation. He stated, “In just the past five years, over 163 initiatives have been implemented.”
He added that expanding the scope of the National Cooperative Development Corporation is a vital step. The Corporation has been providing financial assistance to cooperative societies across the country for six decades, strengthening agriculture, dairy, fisheries, storage, and rural livelihoods. Mohol noted that new technologies, business models, value addition, food processing, export, and logistics opportunities are emerging in the cooperative sector. Therefore, modernizing the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962, to meet current and future needs is essential for accelerating the growth of the cooperative sector in the coming years.
Responding to the opposition’s concerns about state autonomy, Mohol clarified that the central government has never intended to interfere in state cooperative policies. He stated that the ministry has always worked collaboratively with state governments. Using the example of PACS computerization, he emphasized that the initiative does not consider the political party in power in each state. Work is ongoing in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala.
“Our policy is clear: we aim to promote cooperation and enhance the lives of farmers through cooperative efforts,” he concluded.
Leave a Comment